42 Best Restaurants in Seattle, Washington

Enormous bowls filled with light, complex broths and the star of the show—handmade udon noodles—grace the tables at this tiny Madison Valley shop. Along with the various noodle dishes, the surprisingly large menu includes Japanese specialties including sushi, salads, tofu, and rice bowls. The lunch specials and combination meals allow diners to taste more than just a single dish, but if you only try one thing, make it the signature beef made with bonito flake broth and soy sauce.

Perhaps the best-kept secret in the city, this neighborhood Lebanese joint is adorable and affordable. Whitewashed walls sparsely populated by old-world art match the white tablecloths, which are topped with intricate metal candleholders. The menu offers Middle Eastern classics, such as the sizzling lamb-topped hummus, a few pastries, and some kebab options, but its true expertise lies in the vegetable mezze. Seasonal ingredients weave into Lebanese flavors, creating a cross-cultural feast: pears with tahini and pomegranate, eggplant with fresh cheese and honey, tabbouleh with cauliflower instead of bulgur. As an extra treat, the chef keeps a fascinating collection of whiskey and offers one on special each week. On Sunday, the menu is prix-fixe, chef’s choice.

An instant Central District classic upon opening in late 2020, this acclaimed Black-owned restaurant dishes up “Seattle soul" in a vibrant setting. Think exquisitely prepared soul food that pays homage to family traditions—fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, greens, and cornbread—alongside creative fare honoring Seattle's multicultural intersections, like the Fried Catfish Po’mi, a mashup of po’boy and bánh mi sandwiches. Don’t miss COMMUNION's overnight-simmered neck-bone stew, thick with lima beans and pork bones meant to be sucked clean of their smoky meat bits; it’s the chef’s mother’s time-perfected recipe. 

Brandon Pettit spent years developing his thin-but-chewy pizza crust, and the final product has made him a contender for the city's best pies. Neighborhood families and far-flung travelers alike line up before opening time for seasonal pizzas topped with anything from fresh sausage and local clams to blistered padrón peppers and cremini mushrooms. The small wine list is well edited and elegant; desserts are simple but inspired—the homemade chocolate chip cookie with sea salt is delicious. Long wait? Pop next door to charming Essex, the couple's artisanal cocktail bar.  A coveted few reservations are permitted via Tock.com.

An organic café with everything you need for a picnic to-go or a leisurely lunch, Deru Market has something for everything. The bright, modern space starts the day with excellent coffee and pastries, with filling brunches on weekends. Lunch brings pizza, sandwiches, and salads, plus a few larger plates, while dinner brings a few extra main dishes. Vegetable side dishes compete with excellent French fries for table space, and most diners save room for a slice of the layer cakes that sit temptingly on the counter.

Though it opened in 1994 as a typical neighborhood sushi joint, Mashiko quickly gained a reputation as one of the top spots in town for fresh fish, even before the then-owner turned it into the first sushi restaurant to commit to solely sustainable fish. Now owned by his employees and mentees, it continues to uphold its reputation for both quality and a forward-thinking approach to the cuisine. As a product of both, the sushi here skips many classics that don't meet its standards and instead finds sustainable substitutes. But the resulting creativity makes for a unique, environmentally friendly meal, best eaten omakase-style: letting the chef choose the menu.

Adventurous enough for the most committed gourmands but accessible enough to be a neighborhood favorite, Revel starts with Korean street food and shakes it up with a variety of influences, from French to Americana. Noodle dishes at this sleek industrial-chic spot with ample outdoor seating might feature smoked tea noodles with roast duck or seaweed noodles with Dungeness crab, while irresistibly spicy dumplings might be stuffed with bites of short ribs, shallots, and scallions, or perhaps chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, and mustard yogurt. Plates are small enough so that you can save room for one of the playful desserts riffing off Junior Mints or butterscotch pudding.

Only in Seattle would rice porridge qualify as a beach eat, but like Sam I Am, you should eat this anywhere. In 2022, this congee-only shop moved from a shared space into its own location on Golden Gardens, where it continues to use its single dish as a canvas on which it paints museum-worthy flavors. Each bowl comes stuffed full of plump shrimp, tender fish, or spicy beef, and the only side is fried dough for dipping: nothing more is needed, as these are meals unto themselves.

The first oyster bar from a fifth-generation family-owned aquaculture farm, it's designed to give the diner the ultimate experience of eating a raw oyster. The elegant but casual wood bar and subway-tiled walls frame big tubs of bubbling water keeping the shellfish alive. The menu stays simple, with a focus on the half-dozen varieties of oyster usually on offer and helpful staff that explain each one and shuck them to order. They also sell geoduck (the local giant clam) sashimi, cracked Dungeness crab, shellfish chowder, and a few other dishes for those who want a more complete meal. The wine list is specially curated with glasses that pair well with raw oysters. You can also purchase raw and live shellfish here, to shuck or cook yourself. The Queen Anne and Pioneer Square locations serve more complete meals, while the Samish Bay location makes a great day trip stop.

An Instagram-perfect brunch spot, this Ballard charmer deals in trends like thick ricotta toast, and classic comforts like Benedicts and cheesy egg bakes. The light-filled café offers house-made baked goods and coffee from the marble countertop. Once seated, brunchers dig into house-made yogurt, granola, and the legendary crispy potatoes, and, later in the day, heartier savory lunches. As befits such a great morning spot, fresh-squeezed juices and a well-curated wine list make for excellent day drinking of all types.

Across the street from the popular Madison Park Beach, this worker-owned shop quietly and consistently turns out some of the city's best pies. Chewy, thin, crispy, and full of flavor, the crusts defy a specific style, beyond "a New Yorker would approve." Toppings include classics as well as creative combinations like the No Brainer, with morel mushrooms and house-made cultured cream. A smattering of first-come, first-serve bistro tables on the patio clue diners into the mostly takeout nature of the business, but with the grassy shore just a few steps away, it works out well. 

Weaving local seafood into gastropub-style favorites, this waterfront restaurant makes food as good as the view, which stretches up to the Space Needle to the west and over to Lake Union to the north. Seafood chowder, both on its own and over fries as "Poutine o' the Sea," Dungeness Crab Louie salad, and amazing oysters show off the kitchen's skill with the local treasures. The menu offers plenty of options from snacks to seafood platters, plus some meat and vegetable dishes for any landlubbers. In the summer, grab a quick chowder at the 100-Pound Clam, the restaurant's sister shack on the patio, or stop by on weekday afternoons for "Shells and Champagne" happy hour specials.

Baja California Mexican cuisine and a laid-back vibe define this casual spot that's done up in bright, beachy colors, with a lively deck come summertime. Regulars swear by the fresh fish tacos and mangodillas (quesadillas with mango and poblano chilies). Be sure to pay a visit to the salsa bar and wash it all down with a salt-rimmed margarita or house-made agua fresca. Waits are long on sunny days and hours vary seasonally, so call ahead.

Agua Verde is perched waterside on a street surrounded by quirky boat-repair shops; in the warmer months, you can rent kayaks under the restaurant and paddle around Portage Bay.

When a pizza obsessive decided to turn his pop-up into a proper restaurant, he recruited an accomplished chef to help him out, and the result is this delightful and precise mini-market, pie counter, and wine shop. Parmesan-sprinkled crusts decorate each of the pizzas, and while the selection is small, chef touches like confit cherry tomatoes keep the toppings interesting. Colorful tablecloths and patio seating open up more space, and to-go pies make great options for eating in nearby Cal Anderson Park. 

The vegetarian and vegan menu changes frequently at Café Flora, but the chefs tend to keep things simple, with dishes like black-bean burgers topped with spicy aioli, polenta with leeks and spinach, and the popular tacos dorados (corn tortillas filled with potatoes and four types of cheese). You can eat in the Atrium, which has a stone fountain, skylight, and garden-style café tables and chairs. Brunch is a big draw, too—try the fantastic waffles served with fresh seasonal fruits. The scene can get a bit hectic with the mass of families. 

Don't let the modest digs dissuade you: the Ethiopian cuisine here is delicious. Open all day, Cafe Selam serves specialties like beef or lamb tibs (cubed meat sautéed with onions and spices) and ketfo (steak tartare), but is particularly known for its ful, a spicy breakfast dish of lightly pureed fava beans topped with eggs, onions, peppers, and feta cheese, served with two fluffy French loaves.

In addition to its navy-blue exterior and cheeky name, this small, upscale gastropub is known for simple craft cocktails made by devoted mixologists and a small but spot-on menu of comfort foods. The bar offers several snacks (olives, nuts, fries) and small plates ideal for sharing as well as heartier options including a shrimp po'boy and classic burger with fries at lunch. Damn the Weather's supper menu features specials such as mushroom gumbo and guanciale stew alongside lighter small plates like a green salad, and beets and burrata on farro. Tucked into a historic Pioneer Square building, it's the perfect cozy spot to pop in during a Seattle downpour.

Watch dumplings being pleated by hand through the large glass windows in the waiting area for this restaurant on the second floor of Lincoln Square mall—it's a good thing the sight is so entertaining, because there's often a long wait. The xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are the famous attraction at Din Tai Fung, a U.S. branch of the famed Taipei-based chain. The rest of the lengthy menu is nearly as enticing, from shrimp-stuffed wontons to fried rice. The large restaurant is busy and brisk, but a fun experience and worth the wait. There are additional locations in University Village, Pacific Place Mall in Downtown Seattle, and Southcenter Mall in Tukwila.

Looking like a cross between a truck-stop diner and a Tex-Mex restaurant, this tiny café has outstanding breakfast options—including traditional favorites from every region of Mexico. Wait for a space in the tiny dining room, belly up to the counter, or just watch the frenetic activity as everything from soup to salsa is made from scratch. Lunch and dinner are just as good as breakfast (served daily from 9 to 3). Try delectable pork carnitas; chorizo from the state of Michoacán; mole negro over pork or chicken; rockfish with cinnamon and guajillo chiles; and mouthwatering chilaquiles—tortilla chips cooked in green or red salsa and topped with cream.

Not surprisingly, catfish dominates the menu at Jackson’s, a neighborhood fast-casual fixture that recently reopened in a new spot. Run by the grandson of the restaurant’s founders, Jackson’s carries on the legacy of deep-fried catfish (as well as snapper and prawns), hush puppies, and other soul-food staples that have made it a local favorite for decades.

Stepping inside feels like a temporary island getaway, from the cheery yellow walls and rum barrels repurposed as palm planters to the complex aromas wafting through the air. The Caribbean food here is the real deal—Seattle-born chef Trey Lamont has Jamaican roots—with a menu featuring signature jerk-spice-dredged meats and seafood as well Cuban sandwiches, black beans, collard greens, tropical fruit salads, and fried plantains.

Specializing in soba noodles, this tiny spot feels like it was dropped stateside from Japan, but the menu also embraces local ingredients and creative riffs on classics. Seasonal starters might include zucchini coins dusted with Japanese “happy powder”—the sweet and salty flavoring from rice crackers—and small plates like duck meatballs and tempura. The soba menu offers a few different styles, including noodles in hot broth or chilled. For true Japanese-American fusion try the Oreo tempura for dessert. 

Come for the giant dosas, stay for the sweet service at this delightful South Indian restaurant tucked into a suburban strip mall. Rich colors adorn the walls and the plates, the latter in the form of vibrantly flavored chutneys, masalas, and curries. Many of the specialties come from the state of Kerala, but the deep vegetarian menu and exciting seafood options bring in dishes from around India. Waits can get long on days that don't take reservations, so either come earlier in the week with a reservation or earlier in the evening on a weekend.

True to its name, this low-key, bustling Ballard favorite serves traditional Mexican cooking with Oaxacan accents. The mole negro is a must, served with chicken or pork; another standout is the albóndigas (a spicy vegetable soup with meatballs). The menu is mostly small plates, which works to your advantage because you won't have to choose just one savory dish. The small, casual space has an open kitchen enclosed by a stainless-steel bar, the walls are covered in gorgeous black-and-white photos. It gets very crowded on weekends and stays busy until late, though if you have a small party you usually don't have to wait too long for a table.

Slate tabletops, a tile floor, and a rolled-zinc bar will transport you out of Downtown Seattle and into the charming 6th arrondissement. The menu is quintessentially French: at lunch there are rustic pâtés and jambon et fromage (ham and cheese) sandwiches on crusty baguettes; dinner sees homemade sausages, daily fish specials, and steak tartare. The roast chicken (for two) takes an hour to prepare and is worth every second that you'll wait. Blackboards spell out the specials, and wines are served from the earthenware pichets that inspired the brasserie's name.

Tom Douglas dishes out his signature Northwest style, spiked with Greek and Mediterranean touches—another huge success for the local celebrity chef. Try a spice-rubbed lamb chop or the eggplant shakshuka, which elevates the humble eggplant to new heights. Also on the menu: a variety of kebabs (including a halloumi cheese-and-fig version for vegetarians) and scrumptious spreads including hummus, tzatziki, and harissa (a red-pepper concoction). Booths are usually full at this bustling, dimly lit restaurant, which anchors the Hotel Ändra. The weekend brunch is also fabulous; save room for the doughnuts.

The oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle, Maneki is no longer a hidden gem catering to in-the-know locals and chefs, but that doesn't mean the food is any less impressive. Though the James Beard American Classic winner serves good sushi, it's better known for home-style Japanese dishes, which can be ordered as small plates and accompanied with sake. Try the miso black cod collar or the delicious daily fish specials. Rice-paper lamps and screens add a bit of old Japan to the otherwise plain main dining room, but parties of four to ten can reserve a charming tatami room. Maneki is always packed, especially on weekends, so don't even think about coming without a reservation.